Premium
Epithelial stem cells in corneal regeneration and epidermal gene therapy
Author(s) -
Pellegrini G,
Rama P,
Mavilio F,
De Luca M
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.2441
Subject(s) - regeneration (biology) , genetic enhancement , biology , stem cell , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , genetics
Regenerative medicine refers to innovative therapies aimed at the permanent restoration of diseased tissues and organs. Regeneration of self‐renewing tissues requires specific adult stem cells, which need to be genetically modified to correct inherited genetic diseases. Cultures of epithelial stem cells permanently restore severe skin and mucosal defects, and genetically corrected epidermal stem cells regenerate a normal epidermis in patients carrying junctional epidermolysis bullosa. The keratinocyte stem cell is therefore the only cultured stem cell used both in cell therapy and gene therapy clinical protocols. Epithelial stem cell identification, fate and molecular phenotype have been extensively reviewed, but not in relation to tissue regeneration. In this paper we focus on the localization and molecular characterization of human limbal stem cells in relation to corneal regeneration, and the gene therapy of genetic skin diseases by means of genetically modified epidermal stem cells. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.